Torsion bar multiple section door balance



April 16, 1963 K. H. BURGIN 3,085,622

TORSION BAR MULTIPLE SECTION DOOR BALANCE Filed Aug. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l :IINVENTEIR KERMIT H. EURE'IN ATTUI? NE April 16, 1963 K. H. BURGIN TORSION BAR MULTIPLE SECTION DOOR BALANCE Filed Aug. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HNVENTEIR KERMIT H. IEILIRE-IN JBYWQMLJ United States Patent M 3,085,622 TORSION BAR MULTIPLE SECTION DOOR BALANCE Kermit H. Burgin, Whitestown, Ind., assignor of fifty percent to Frederick B. Cline, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Aug. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 133,136 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-191) This invention relates to a structure applicable to at least a two part door wherein the two parts are hinged together horizontally and hinged at the top of the upper part to a stationary frame about an opening such as would be found in garages, and through which automobiles would be driven.

These doors are rather heavy, and many solutions have been offered to the public for offsetting the weight required to be lifted upon opening the door. In the present invention, torsion bars are provided to interact between the two door sections adjacent the line of interhinging of those sections one with the other. In so doing, a very simple structure is provided in the absence of coil springs or weights and the like. Furthermore, an advantage of the structure embodying the invention is that the structure may be very readily adjusted so that the desired degree of lift of the door is had without violent action, and at the same time permitting the door sections to be lowered into the vertical planar state.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in inside elevation of a structure embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of rod tensioning device infront elevation;

FIG. 3 is a view in left hand end elevation as viewed in reference to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale in vertical section on the line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a similar view with the door in open position;

FIG. 6 is a view in section on an enlarged scale on the line 66 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a further enlarged view in top plan of the structure shown in FIG. 2 but in right hand formation;

FIG. 8 is a view also in an enlarged scale in elevation of the right hand side of the structure in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a view in section on an enlarged scale on the line 9-9 in FIG. 1.

A folding door generally indicated by the numeral 10 is divided into an upper and lower section 11 and 12 re spectively. These two sections are hinged together along an approximtaely central horizontal line by the hinge 13. The upper section 11 is hinged by its upper end 1311 through a hinge 14 within a door frame 15, FIG. 5. In the form herein shown, the two sections 10' and 11 will swing outwardly, to the right, from the frame 15. The lower end of the door section 10 is supplied with a bracket 16 at each lower outer corner, and a stubshaft 17 is carried therein to extend laterally therefrom and carry a roller 18, FIG. 6. This roller 18 in each instance is guidingly carried within a track 19.

A torsion rod 20 is carried by brackets 21 and 22, one each respectively mounted on the door section 11 adjacent the hinge 13 and near the outer ends of the rod 20. The rod 20 after passing through the bracket 21 is provided with a sharply turned integral length 23. This length 23 is arcuate to bow toward the lower door section 12, FIG. 4, from the bracket 21 and thence a torsion 3,035,622 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 curved outwardly to slide through a bracket 24 secured to the door section 12 at a distance below the hinge 13.

The other end of this torsion rod 24] extends on through the bracket 22 to be rotatable therethrough as the rod 20 is also rotatable through the bracket 21, to extend into a torsion adjuster 25. Reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 is had to show the structure of this adjuster 25. Across a U-shaped bracket 26 which is secured to the door section 11 on the right, is a cylinder 27 rotatably carried between the two bracket arms 28 and 29. A collar 30 on the cylinder 27 prevents endwise travel of the cylinder 2'7 to the right, and a star wheel 31 fixed to the cylinder 27 on the outside of the arm 29 prevents endwise travel to the left. A shank 32 is provided as an extension of the cylinder 27, herein shown as being square in shape. On the side of the arm 29, there is slidably held a pawl 33 which normally drops by reason of its own weight under the effect of gravitation into the path of the star wheel 31.

The rod 20 enters axially of the cylinder 27, FIG. 7, and is engaged in a fixed manner to the cylinder 27 by any suitable means, herein shown as by an end 34 passing radially outwardly through the cylinder 27. The exact interconnection between the rod 211 and the cylinder 27 is immaterial so long as there is a. fixed connection therebetween. Therefore, when the shank 32 is r0- tated in a clockwise direction, FIG. 8, the shape of the teeth 31a on the wheel 31 is such that the pawl 33 will be lifted, but after being lifted over one tooth may drop down against the opposite side thereof to prevent counterclockwise turning of the wheel 31. In this manner, the rod 20 may be twisted to give it the desired amount of twist which will cause the rod length 23 to bear with considerable force in the bracket 24 tending to cause the lower door section 12 to travel by its upper end outwardly from the frame 15. This tendency to swing the upperend of the door section 12 outwardly also causes the section 11 to follow therewith. This action in turn causes the lower end 35 of the door section 12 to travel upwardly bearing on the roller 18 in the track 19, whereby the two door sections 11 and 12 move from the positions shown in FIG. 4, that is the planar substantially vertical positions to the folded positions as indicated in FIG. 5. In order to prevent binding of the door sections on one side when thus affected on the other side by the torsion rod 20 and its arm 23, the torsion rod is dupli cated but in reverse. This duplication consists of the employment of a second torsion rod 36 herein shown as lying behind the torsion rod 20. The right hand end of the torsion rod 36 is formed to have a downwardly extending length 37 which is bowed in the same manner as that of the length 23 to pass slidingly through a retainer bracket 38 mounted on the door section 12 to the right side thereof, FIG. 1, to be slidable longitudinally therethrough.

The left hand end of the torsion rod 36 extends into a second torsion bar adjuster 25a which is a duplicate of the adjuster 25 with the exception that it is made in left handed manner as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to have the shank 32 extend on the left as a means of twisting axially the bar 36 in order to cause the length 37 to apply a pressure from the inside of the door sec tion 12 through the bracket 38 tending to push the upper ends of the section 12 outwardly along the hinge 13. In other Words the two lengths 23 and 37 cooperate to apply preferably an equal pressure against the door section 12 as described.

The adjusters 25 and 25a are manipulated to apply that pressure on the door section 12 which will permit it to remain in the planar condition, FIG. 4, and yet which'will permit an assistance to the lifting of the section 12 to the position shown in FIG. 5 where those lengths 23 and 37 will work the two sections in their uppermost positions of travel. It will cause some pressure from the inside of the door sections 11 and 12 along their hinged opposing edges to cause them to travel outwardly initially whereupon the torsion rod lengths 23 and 37 will take over to a great degree the lifting of the door sections. Of course the door may be opened from the outside, that is the right hand side as viewed in FIG. 4, by pulling the adjacent edges of the two sections outwardly.

The two torsion rod lengths 23 and 37 are made in the arcuate manner in order to prevent the ends 23a and 37a from digging into the lower door section 12 as they would if these lengths were made in straight lines. This bowing of these lengths 23 and 37 preserves the full pressure effect of these lengths without being diminished by friction of such digging action.

Thus it is to be seen that a very simplified structure is provided and one which is easily operated and adjusted. The lengths of the door sections 11 and 12 and the cations of the rollers 18 are made to be such that the lower section 12 will come up into close proximity with the section 11 as indicated in FIG. 5 so that the maximum height possible in the opening of the frame may be employed to permit an automobile to pass under the opened door.

Therefore while I have described my invention in the one form as new best known to me and as illustrated in the drawings, structural deviations from that form may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form any more than may be required by the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a two part door, one part hinged to the other; means rockably supporting the door from the upper end of one part; the other part hanging normally from the lower end of the upper part to have both parts in a common, substantially vertical plane; substantially vertically disposed track means along opposite sides of said door parts and in a common plane; and means interengaging the lower door part with said track means, whereby the hinge line between the two parts will swing outwardly from the plane of the track means and the lower door part will raise and lower along said track at said interengaging means upon outward swinging of the upper door part: of a torsion bar extending across said door upper part adjacent said hinge line; an arm extending approximately at a right angle from one end of the bar and along the door lower part; means mounted on said lower part and engaging the other end of said bar axially twisting the bar to press said arm against the door lower part; bracket means mounted on the door upper part intermediate said arm and said twisting means, through which brackets the bar may rotate; said arm urging upward travel of the door lower part in relation to the swinging of the door upper part; a second torsion bar extending along the first bar across said door upper part adjacent said hinge line; an arm extending from an end portion of said second bar at the door side opposite from the first arm and downwardly over the door lower part; means mounted on the door upper part for twisting said second bar to urge its arm away from the door lower part; said brackets also rotatably supporting said second bar; and other brackets, one for each of said arms fixed to said door lower part and through which the arms may slide.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said arms are bowed to curve away from the door lower part.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which there are means adjustably retaining said bars individually in selected dc grees of twist.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,857,756 Headley May 10, 1932 2,032,951 Pixley Mar. 3, 1936 2,831,219 Nelson Apr. 22, 1958 2,984,517 Farrow et a1. May 16, 1961 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A TWO PART DOOR, ONE PART HINGED TO THE OTHER; MEANS ROCKABLY SUPPORTING THE DOOR FROM THE UPPER END OF ONE PART; THE OTHER PART HANGING NORMALLY FROM THE LOWER END OF THE UPPER PART TO HAVE BOTH PARTS IN A COMMON, SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE; SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED TRACK MEANS ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID DOOR PARTS AND IN A COMMON PLANE; AND MEANS INTERENGAGING THE LOWER DOOR PART WITH SAID TRACK MEANS, WHEREBY THE HINGE LINE BETWEEN THE TWO PARTS WILL SWING OUTWARDLY FROM THE PLANE OF THE TRACK MEANS AND THE LOWER DOOR PART WILL RAISE AND LOWER ALONG SAID TRACK AT SAID INTERENGAGING MEANS UPON OUTWARD SWINGING OF THE UPPER DOOR PART: OF A TORSION BAR EXTENDING ACROSS SAID DOOR UPPER PART ADJACENT SAID HINGE LINE; AN ARM EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY AT A RIGHT ANGLE FROM ONE END OF THE BAR AND ALONG THE DOOR LOWER PART; MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID LOWER PART AND ENGAGING THE OTHER END OF SAID BAR AXIALLY TWISTING THE BAR TO PRESS SAID ARM AGAINST THE DOOR LOWER PART; BRACKET MEANS MOUNTED ON THE DOOR UPPER PART INTERMEDIATE SAID ARM AND SAID TWISTING MEANS, THROUGH WHICH BRACKETS THE BAR MAY ROTATE; SAID ARM URGING UPWARD TRAVEL OF THE DOOR LOWER PART IN RELATION TO THE SWINGING OF THE DOOR UPPER PART; A SECOND TORSION BAR EXTENDING ALONG THE FIRST BAR ACROSS SAID DOOR UPPER PART ADJACENT SAID HINGE LINE; AN ARM EXTENDING FROM AN END PORTION OF SAID SECOND BAR AT THE DOOR SIDE OPPOSITE FROM THE FIRST ARM AND DOWNWARDLY OVER THE DOOR LOWER PART; MEANS MOUNTED ON THE DOOR UPPER PART FOR TWISTING SAID SECOND BAR TO URGE ITS ARM AWAY FROM THE DOOR LOWER PART; SAID BRACKETS ALSO ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SECOND BAR; AND OTHER BRACKETS, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID ARMS FIXED TO SAID DOOR LOWER PART AND THROUGH WHICH THE ARMS MAY SLIDE. 